Foodie Trip to NYC

Friday night
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Hole in the Wall Chinese place on Canal Street (that was open at 10:50) between Broadway and West Broadway on the south side of the street

fried Pork Dumplings
Hot and Sour Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Spring Rolls

Certainly nothing to write home about, but all perfectly acceptable and surprisingly not overly greasy. The pork dumplings had a filling that was slightly different and quite tasty. The Hot and Sour soup was very perky and quite good - although a little thin on the veggies. We were very happy that they let us in and fed us, to be perfectly honest. Everyone who came after us was turned away.

Saturday
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Argo Tea Cafe
75 University Place
http://www.argotea.com/

I had my first bubble tea (coconut) because this was the very first place I've found that will make a bubble tea with soy milk. It was very sweet, but quite tasty and the tapioca was vegan, but it was also little squares instead of pearls which was a bit odd.

Union Square Green Market
http://www.cenyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket
We picked up a lovely bagette and some jam from a producer who had driven down from western mass that morning. We also got some blueberries, good, but on the sour side. Some olive rosemary rolls which were heavy and dry and not very tasty. Some whitefish salad that seemed to be unsmoked and was also rather blah. An emergency brownie which I carried around all day in my purse "in case of emergency" an emergency mini cherry pie (see bus ride home below). We liked the baguette and jam best of all, but it was a fun way to have breakfast and we sat at a little table in the shade of the trees and enjoyed trying everything.


Dim Sum Go Go
5 E. Broadway
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/26073/restaurant/Chinatown/Dim-Sum-Go-Go-New-York
I like being able to order the exact dumplings I want... we ordered about 10 different ones. My favorite was the stuffed mushrooms, the bean curd skin rolls, the duck and cabbage. Everything was well flavored and very fresh and hot. Flavors were subtle and clean. The setting is modern looking and crowded - although we showed up the two of us at 12:30 on a Saturday and were seated right away. I would certainly go back.


A wine bar/bistro
On the south east corner of 8th and 18th
1/2 bottle of syrah and pommes frites (and emergency brownie)
We had to break into our emergency brownie because the waiter was ignoring us. We had to go in search of him to even order the pomme frites. But we got to sit at the huge open window looking out across the intersection of 8th and 18th and it was easy to keep an eye out for our friend that we were meeting. Nothing special about the pomme frites. Nothing good to say about the service. The brownie was a little disappointing to.

City Cakes
251 West 18th Street, Lower Level
http://www.citycakesny.com/
4 cupcakes
1 chocolate with basil frosting was most interesting... the favorite was the golden cake with the chocolate frosting - a sort of idealized homemade cupcake

Chez Oskar
211 DeKalb Ave.
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
http://www.chezoskar.com/
A lovely seat outside on a warm summer night at a cafe table. A glass of cidre... a lovely salad of arugala, green apple and grapefruit... two very rare lamb chops with couscous... risotto ... tarte tatin... and decaf espresso... all lovely as can be.

Cake Man Raven
708 Fulton Street
Brooklyn
the very best Red Velvet Cake I've ever had... a huge slice (well, it should be for $6.00)... but amazing.


Sunday
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Russ and Daughters
179 E. Houston Street
http://www.russanddaughters.com/
bagels, gravlax, reg. cream cheese, tofu scallion cream cheese, white fish salad, german potato salad, pickles, bagel bread pudding, orange juice... the gravlax was amazingly rich and dill infused...the white fish salad was quite smoky. We took our picnic to a nearby park and sat and indulged under the spreading trees... yum.

Rice
81 Washington Street
Dumbo, Brooklyn
http://www.riceny.com/home.php
We didn't actually eat here, but it looked amazing and they were kind enough to let us use their bathrooms without making us purchase anything (so that we could really enjoy our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge). Kelli was wearing a Red Sox hat and the man who showed us the restrooms said, "Anything for a Red Sox fan." Who knew that her Boston cap would be our ticket into the bathroom in Brooklyn? They have the very coolest bathrooms ever. I'd definitely go back to have some food anytime.

Tasty Hand'pulled Noodles
1 Doyers Street
Chinatown
very small, not overly tidy or clean, slow, and our pan fried noodles with chicken and shrimp were mysteriously missing the shrimp, but all that said, the noodles were delicious. I'd probably go back and try it again.

bus ride home
emergency cherry pie from Union Square Green Market
This pie was fantastic... I want to go back and pick up a few more... thin, but very good pastry, crisp on the bottom, tart cherries...just perfect!